Unweighted GPA 3.3 in MCPS magnet program, weighted 3.9, 7 APs, SATs 2100 - help id'ing schools?

[Anonymous]

merit aid, if any, will not be enough to make the schools affordable. make sure to have safeties on your DC's list.

[Anonymous]

If he is interested in politics and film, I'd suggest staying near a city. A lot of kids like to work on political campaigns, and they tend to have offices in cities.

Tufts, UNC, Michigan, Occidental in LA, UC San Diego, Pitzer in LA, University of Washington in Seattle might all fit the bill.

University of Toronto and McGill might also be good fits. Toronto has that great film festival., so a lot of creative energy there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he is interested in politics and film, I'd suggest staying near a city. A lot of kids like to work on political campaigns, and they tend to have offices in cities.

Tufts, UNC, Michigan, Occidental in LA, UC San Diego, Pitzer in LA, University of Washington in Seattle might all fit the bill.

University of Toronto and McGill might also be good fits. Toronto has that great film festival., so a lot of creative energy there.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:merit aid, if any, will not be enough to make the schools affordable. make sure to have safeties on your DC's list.

I'm not stupid, of course we will. Also as I said, merit aid isn't needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:His stats are not high enough to get significant or any merit aid. I'd focus IS schools - UMBC, St. Mary's, Towson... UMCP will be tough. What is sub-scores for his SAT?

OP, this person has no idea what she is talking about.

Those stats are absolutely high enough for significant merit aid at many "second tier" schools. If money is a factor, look outside the top ~30 USNWR colleges/universities for many schools that would give him merit aid. Some to consider:

Larger schools: Tulane, Wisconsin, Pitt, American, UVM, UConn, Marquette, Clemson, Fordham. If his SAT M+CR = 1400, with that weighted GPA he could get a full tuition scholarship at Alabama; with SAT M+CR = 1330-1390, he qualifies for two-thirds off tuition there.

Smaller schools: Denver, Clark, Richmond, Lafayette, Skidmore, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Rhodes, Denison, Lawrence, Wooster, Kalamazoo, Wheaton (MA), Muhlenberg, Puget Sound, Willamette, Whitman. If you are interested in smaller schools, read the book Colleges that Change Lives--lots of good suggestions.

Thank you, this is very helpful. We don't necessarily need aid, although it would be good! SAT M + CR did equal 1400.

OP, with that profile he will get merit aid at many if not most or all of the above schools. The fact that he is male will help.

If he does want a large school, Pitt is very nice. My DC was big on Pitt until realizing that a SLAC is a better fit.

Thanks, I was thinking about Pitt too.

Why better changes if he is male?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:His stats are not high enough to get significant or any merit aid. I'd focus IS schools - UMBC, St. Mary's, Towson... UMCP will be tough. What is sub-scores for his SAT?

OP, this person has no idea what she is talking about.

Those stats are absolutely high enough for significant merit aid at many "second tier" schools. If money is a factor, look outside the top ~30 USNWR colleges/universities for many schools that would give him merit aid. Some to consider:

Larger schools: Tulane, Wisconsin, Pitt, American, UVM, UConn, Marquette, Clemson, Fordham. If his SAT M+CR = 1400, with that weighted GPA he could get a full tuition scholarship at Alabama; with SAT M+CR = 1330-1390, he qualifies for two-thirds off tuition there.

Smaller schools: Denver, Clark, Richmond, Lafayette, Skidmore, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Rhodes, Denison, Lawrence, Wooster, Kalamazoo, Wheaton (MA), Muhlenberg, Puget Sound, Willamette, Whitman. If you are interested in smaller schools, read the book Colleges that Change Lives--lots of good suggestions.

Thank you, this is very helpful. We don't necessarily need aid, although it would be good! SAT M + CR did equal 1400.

OP, with that profile he will get merit aid at many if not most or all of the above schools. The fact that he is male will help.

If he does want a large school, Pitt is very nice. My DC was big on Pitt until realizing that a SLAC is a better fit.

Thanks, I was thinking about Pitt too.

Why better changes if he is male?

There are fewer qualified male applicants than female ones, in general. Also, there are far fewer qualified male applicants than female ones in the humanities.

[Anonymous]

^^^IMO your son has good stats and will have some great options, including merit aid if you want that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:merit aid, if any, will not be enough to make the schools affordable. make sure to have safeties on your DC's list.

I'm not stupid, of course we will. Also as I said, merit aid isn't needed.

Ask for help, person didn't read entire thread, now you have an attitude...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:merit aid, if any, will not be enough to make the schools affordable. make sure to have safeties on your DC's list.

I'm not stupid, of course we will. Also as I said, merit aid isn't needed.

Ask for help, person didn't read entire thread, now you have an attitude...

I don't know that I have an attitude, but these posters saying, your kid will only go to an in state school, try Towson .... it's kind of annoying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:merit aid, if any, will not be enough to make the schools affordable. make sure to have safeties on your DC's list.

I'm not stupid, of course we will. Also as I said, merit aid isn't needed.

Ask for help, person didn't read entire thread, now you have an attitude...

I don't know that I have an attitude, but these posters saying, your kid will only go to an in state school, try Towson .... it's kind of annoying.

I think you are taking it too personally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ first 4, I'd say no chance.

last 3, maybe.

NP. First 3 would be reaches but absolutely possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:merit aid, if any, will not be enough to make the schools affordable. make sure to have safeties on your DC's list.

I'm not stupid, of course we will. Also as I said, merit aid isn't needed.

Ask for help, person didn't read entire thread, now you have an attitude...

I don't know that I have an attitude, but these posters saying, your kid will only go to an in state school, try Towson .... it's kind of annoying.

What's wrong with Towson? My kid's there.

[Anonymous]

UVA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:merit aid, if any, will not be enough to make the schools affordable. make sure to have safeties on your DC's list.

I'm not stupid, of course we will. Also as I said, merit aid isn't needed.

Ask for help, person didn't read entire thread, now you have an attitude...

I don't know that I have an attitude, but these posters saying, your kid will only go to an in state school, try Towson .... it's kind of annoying.

What's wrong with Towson? My kid's there.

Not a thing. It's just that I was looking for some school suggestions. Guess I should have said that in state schools were kind of a given and I know about all of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:His stats are not high enough to get significant or any merit aid. I'd focus IS schools - UMBC, St. Mary's, Towson... UMCP will be tough. What is sub-scores for his SAT?

OP, this person has no idea what she is talking about.

Those stats are absolutely high enough for significant merit aid at many "second tier" schools. If money is a factor, look outside the top ~30 USNWR colleges/universities for many schools that would give him merit aid. Some to consider:

Larger schools: Tulane, Wisconsin, Pitt, American, UVM, UConn, Marquette, Clemson, Fordham. If his SAT M+CR = 1400, with that weighted GPA he could get a full tuition scholarship at Alabama; with SAT M+CR = 1330-1390, he qualifies for two-thirds off tuition there.

Smaller schools: Denver, Clark, Richmond, Lafayette, Skidmore, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Rhodes, Denison, Lawrence, Wooster, Kalamazoo, Wheaton (MA), Muhlenberg, Puget Sound, Willamette, Whitman. If you are interested in smaller schools, read the book Colleges that Change Lives--lots of good suggestions.

Ouch! I'd like to think I know what I'm talking about... My three kids came out MCPS magnet just like OP's DC. We have recently gone thru the college process 3 times including some of the schools on your post. I'd like to think my data points are pretty good and pretty up to date but whatever... Good luck OP.

My DS graduated from a non-magnet in NoVa. Weighted GPA = 4.0, unweighted 3.6, SAT M+CR = 1400. 8 AP classes, decent ECs but nothing special. Received merit aid offers between $20k-$30k from several of the colleges/universities listed above.